A short transformation today. Very little verbiage.
Today’s transformation subject is what used to be a Venetian watergate. Wategates were explained recently on the article here.
There is something afoot with this watergate, though. It has been partially sealed up with stone to leave just a window. But, that won’t stop me in my efforts to transform it from snapshot to fine-art print.
Here is that initial snapshot.
I’m embarrassed to even share this snapshot with you! It is absolutely horrible…horrible timing in catching the rear end of that gondola…horrible window to the left with women’s fashion…horrible window with signage to the right, though the wording is sort of inspirational and encouraging as I begin to transform the photo. But, that segment of gondola does give me an idea though…more on that later.
About that Moncler signage. I did an internet search, and I find it is a fashion company. And, ohhhh what fashion it is ladies. I mean, who isn’t into puffy winter coats these days? You will probably want to grab one of these whilst they are still available. Click on the thumbnails if you have the stomach for it…
So, my first task is to remove that piece of gondola. And, as I didn’t like that window to the right - even though if was oh, so encouraging — I will make it vanish. Cropping will take care of the shiny window to the left. There is a bit of electrical conduit to remove, too.
Wallah…done. And straightening? Yes, I took care of that, too.
It’s a good bit washed out so I need to add some of that old Venetian patina.
Seeing that passing gondola gives me an idea. I think I’ll put a gondola into the photo, but not the one that was there originally. I’ve got a lot of gondola photos, so I’ll just row one of those into the photo. The prow instead of the rear, I think.
Ouch, the water? There is a bit of a wake from the oar of that original passing gondola. So, I’m going to smooth out that disturbance in this tranquil universe.
That’s it. I’m thinking though that some reflection would make the water a bit more realistic, so I’ve taken care of that, too. And, of course the gondola should have a reflection…and a bit of shadow under it…so there it is!
If there is a lesson to be learned here, and if you are a photographer with digital resources yourself, just shoot away and work on those photos in post. It is often catch-as-catch-can as you are passing by something that you feel might become of interest in the future.
AN OFFER: if you have a photo that you like, except for some distractions that need to be removed, colors adjusted, etc., send one to me in an email and I’ll work on it a bit to see if we can give it more life.
That’s it for today. I’m going to row on off to another canal, as there might be something to catch my eye just around the bend.
Ciao for now,
Steve